The Definitive Yokai Field Guide
Published on 14. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
176 pages
978-1-77046-820-7 (ISBN)
Description
Welcome to the wonderful and scary and silly world of Yokai! The Definitive Yokai Field Guide introduces young readers to the fantastically fascinating world of Japanese folklore. Universally beloved cartoonist and Eisner Hall of Fame inductee Shigeru Mizuki s passion for researching and writing about Japan s yokai knows no bounds. In this perfect companion to Mizuki s Kitaro comics and art books, kids and kids at heart can now discover this magical world and its many peculiar creatures all on their own. The book that captivated Japan for decades as a perennial bestseller can now inspire readers the world over. Bursting with frightfully fun content including 80 yokai profiles The Definitive Yokai Field Guide also boasts a map of where to find different yokai around the world, and the exciting comic 'The Yokai of Obobe Swamp.' Mizuki s whimsical and mischievous approach to cataloging these one-of-a-kind creatures found nowhere else is sure to enlighten and amaze fans of both the natural and supernatural world. In fact, it might just be the perfect gift for current and future folklorists, ghost hunters and myth busters to boot! Translated by Mizuki scholar and yokai aficionado Zack Davisson, the most famous all-ages guide to yokai becomes available in English for the very first time.
Reviews / Votes
Shigeru Mizuki resurrected Japan s folk creatures as pop culture for the masses. The New Yorker. Even in a country as saturated with manga and anime as Japan, few artists rivaled Mr. Mizuki in commercial success or distinctiveness of vision. The New York Times. Mizuki was the first extended brush with the world of Y?kai for many of us comics critics and readers. The Comics JournalMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Montreal
Canada
Target group
Children/juvenile
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
full-colour illustrations throughout
Dimensions
Height: 191 mm
Width: 149 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
329 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-77046-820-7 (9781770468207)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Shigeru Mizuki
The Definitive Yokai Field Guide
E-Book
04/2026
DRAWN & QUARTERLY
€11.49
Available for download
Person
Shigeru Mizuki (1922 2015) was one of Japan s most respected artists. A creative prodigy, he lost an arm in World War II. After the war, Mizuki became one of the founders of Japan s latest craze manga. He invented the yokai genre with GeGeGe no Kitaro, his most famous character, who has been adapted for the screen several times, as anime, live action, and video games. In fact, a new anime series has been made every decade since 1968, capturing the imaginations of generations of Japanese children. A researcher of yokai and a real-life ghost hunter, Mizuki traveled to over sixty countries to engage in fieldwork based on spirit folklore. In his hometown of Sakaiminato, one can find Shigeru Mizuki Road, a street decorated with bronze statues of his Kitaro characters.